Non emergency patient transport

Non-Emergency Patient Transport

The Non-Emergency Patient Transport Service (NEPTS) in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland is provided by TASL. This service provides non-emergency transport to and from medical appointments for patients who have a medical condition that would prevent travel by other means.

About the service

Who is eligible for patient transport?

Have a medical condition that prevents you from travelling to hospital by other means.

Have treatment with side effects that require the support of specialist staff.

Have a medical condition that might put you at risk of harm if travelling independently.

Have health needs that require medical assistance during transport. You can view the exact criteria which we apply to all of our patients - in this document. If you have questions about your eligibility, you can contact TASL on 0345 241 3012.

Designing the Non-Emergency Patient Transport Service

TASL took over the contract to provide these services in October 2017 after a period of engagement with local patients and a formal procurement process.

Along with our colleagues in East Leicestershire and Rutland CCG and Leicester City CCG, we spoke to people from across Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland, asking them “What needs to happen so that patients in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland who are eligible experience effective, safe, appropriate and timely non-emergency transport services?”

We gathered people’s real experience of non-emergency patient transport services that were provided by Arriva at the time – patients, carers, escorts and health care professionals. We also heard from drivers and control room and booking staff whose experience of providing non-emergency transport services directly influences the quality of the service and outcomes.

The findings of the research were shared with patients, carers, health and care staff and transport provider staff at a public engagement event held on Thursday 14 July 2016. The event was well attended and after hearing the insights the group contributed by sharing their own experiences which are also contributing to redesigning the non-emergency patient transport service.

Following the discussions around the insights, we moved on to the high impact actions that had been identified from the research as being the key actions to address so that we could make improvements to what patient transport services are commissioned which will benefit everyone from patients and carers to drivers and hospital staff. You can see the actions in the image below.

You can find out more about these actions and the insight behind them, by downloading the presentations below.

This work helped us to us to ensure that a specification or detailed description was put together that sees the delivery of safe, effective and sustainable transport to eligible patients between their nominated place of residence, to, from and between NHS-funded healthcare facilities in a timely manner, so that they can receive pre-booked health and care.